Method of metal coating and apparatus therefor



E. L.' WATRO'US, DECD. A. s. wATnous. ExEcuTnlx.

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E. I.. WATROUS, D'EC'D. A. B. WATROUS. EXECUTRIX. METHOD 0F METAL coArlNG AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.V

APPLICATION F-ILED APR-'24, IQIB. 1,418,412. PatentedJune 6, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2a/@fdl Wam@ EDWARD L. WATROUS,/OF EL PASO, TEXAS; AGNES B. WATROUS BEING EXECUTE/IX OF SAID EDWARD L. WATROUS, DECEASED.

` METHQD F METAL COATING AND| APPARATUS THEREFOR.

To all whom t may concern: i

Beit known that I, E.V L. WA'rRoUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Metal Coating and Apparatus Therefor, of which the fol.- lowing is a specification.

This invention relates toa method and apparatus for metal coating, and more particularly to galvanizing or the like, the articles under treatment, after being coated, be-f ing subjected to centrifugal force.

Among the objects of this invention is to render more efficient the process of galvanizing or the like; further to eliminate waste of time, labor, and loss of heat heretofore involved in transferring fro-m the coating bath to a separate and removed centrifugal machine; further to provide a rotatable head which may be readily detached from the rotating shaft .for cleaning when it becomes unduly clogged or coated with spelter or other material used for coating, and a clean head substituted in its place; further o to providespecial apparatus for-raising and lowering the basket containing the articles to be galvanized into and out? of the spelter bath; further to permit the application of the centrifugal action to which the articles to begalvanized are subjected, directly above the spelterbath so that anyv Superfluous coating material thrown ofi' from the articles may find its way back into the bath; further to render possible the continuous treatment in large quantities of small articles such as nails, tacks, and thellike.; further to provide a removable basket which may be inserted into .or removed from the head; further to provide novel means for introducing I articles to be coated into -the basket, while the same is immersed in the bath; and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later' become vmore readily apparent. 1 f f My invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while I have shown therein aprefer-red embodiment of apparatus for carrying out my new method, I vdesire it to .be understood that the .same is susceptible of Specication of Letters Batent. Patented June 6, 1922,

Application led'April 24, 1918. Serial No. 230,400. 'i

showing the head as rotated through 90.

Figure 5' is a sectional detail view -showing the mechanism for elevating and loweris mounted.

Figure 6 is a detail view of thedoor latch.`

Referring tothe drawings, the apparatusA of my invention comprises the tankv 1 adapted to contain a suitable spelter bath 2 and around which tank is built a masonry wall 3 to provide the space 4 for the reception of coke or the like by means of which lthe spelter bath is heated. Located'in` the lower portion of the masonry wallsl 3 are a plurality of apertures, which not "only supplyv draft for the coke fire within the space 4, but also enable the attendant to have access to the fire near the bottom for the purpose of regulating the heat thereof. Thetank 1 as seen in Figure 2 is of elongated formation, that portion farthest removed from the rotatable head serving to provide reserve heat. 6 is a sheet iron shell which encloses the rotatable head and serves to catch the flying zinc and deflect it back into the tank. This shell has formed in the face 7 a door (not shown) the purpose of which is to give accessibility to the inside of the tank when placing a basket 4within the rotata-ble head or removing the same there from. Through the shell extends the rotatable shaft 9, upon the lower end of which v-is mounted the head 10, which is removably attached thereto byl means of a suitable bolt 11 or other equivalent means, passing'v through the block 12. The construction of this rotatable' headis` as follows :--to the block 12, at opposite sides are. secured by means of the bolts 13 and 14 the main straps 15, which, as shown, are formed near each i ing lthe shaft upon `which the rotatable head S Figure 4, at 20 and 21 for the purpose of bringing the upper ends of these straps to the proper position to bel bolted to the block 12.

lSecured to the members are the memf bers 22 and 23 which as shown are U-shaped and secured at each side lof the head `to the members 15, thus forming three sides of the head and are left open at their front sides to make provision for hanging a swinging door thereto. Secured to the inner face of the members' 22 and 23 and at the backside of the head are the vertical members 24, which as shown in Fi ure 4 extend downwardly to a level wit the upper face of the bottom portions of the straps 15 at which point these members 24 are formed with a rectangular bend 26, and then extended forwardly t0 rest upon and be secured to the upper faces of the lower portions 27of the members 15. It will thus be seen that this head is composed of an open work frame on three sides and the bottom, the fourth side, being leftopen for the reception of the door member which is hinged to the free'end of the members 22 and 23 as indicated at 30. This door is of slat formation and com rises the vertically extending bars 31 and t e horizontally extending bars 3.2 securely fastened together at their crossing points.-l In order to lock this door in closed position when' the head is in operation I have provided Jthe latching means 33 (see Figure 6) which comprises the main armv 34 having the hooked end 35, for cooperation with the similar hook 36 located upon the outer end of the door member 32. This latch 33 is pivoted at 34 to a suitable bracket carried by the side members 22 and 23 adjacent their extremity opposite the endtov which the door is hinged. In order that this latch vmay be quickly released I have provided the projecting arm 37 which may be operated by being struck a blow to release the catch 35 from the lip 36. In order to firml hold this' latch meansin operative position have provided the rearwardly extending arm 38 between which arm and adjacent member 22 or 23 is positioned a coil spring 39, normally tending-to move this latch in clockwise direction.` Positioned within the head 10 is the basket 40 which is .formed of. sheet metal or the like having its sides'and bottom perforated and a metal band 41 extending around the top portion thereof forthe sake 0f rigidity and strength. By releasing the latches 33 and swinging the door 32 intoopen position this basket may be readily placed in position within the head or removed therefrom. i

As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 a Aconsiderable space has been provided between the upper edge of the basket 40 and the lower face of the block 12I whereby to permit the passage therethrough of the nozzle of the spout 42 into position over the open topped basket when the head is in lowered position l as indicated `in Figure 1*. The open work head just described is constructed of metal bars of suitable width and thickness, and the upwardly extending member 48 whichl ter-A minates in the platform 49, upon which is mounted a suitable motor 50. The cross braces 46 and 47 are each formed at their mid-point with the hub portions 51 and 52 respectively, while the outer extremity of the platform 49 is provided with the enlarged portion 53. The hub portions 51 and 52 and i ortion 53 are bored out andv the enlarged y which bores fa l in alinement with each other and through which passes the vertical shaft 9.

Just above the enlarged portion 53 the shaft v9 is provided with a suitable clutch comprising the portions 54 and 55, by means of which the shaft 9 may be causedto rotate or remain stationary as desired. This clutch is operated by means 0f a belt 56 suitably connected to the motor 50. It is obvious of course, that I may'substitute any other source of riotive power and form of clutch ifdesire Surrounding the shaft 9 and having longfi Atudinally sliding movement through the boresof the hub 51 and 52 is the sleeve 60 provided upon its exterior with the threads 61 extending substantially the full length thereof. Mounted upon the shaft 65 and in engagement with the threads 61 is the spur pinion 64, which is caused to rotate by means of power being transmitted from the handle 66 of the wheel 67 by virtue of'the connections therewith through the medium of the shafts 68 and 65 and beveled gears 69, 70 and A .71, 72; which beveledgears, shafts 'and hand wheel are suitably mounted in brackets provided therefor as shown.

In order to permit rotation of the shaft 9 within the sleeve 60 andat the same time cause these parts to move longitudinally in unison with each other, it will be seen in Figure 5 that I have providedthe oppositely located pins 77 which extend into the circumferential groove 78 formed in the snaft 9. As a result lof this arrangement, Y,

when the sleeve 60 is elevated or lowered as l rection of the spur ,by means of a set screw 79 or other equivalent means ris the bracket 80 formed upon one endwith the perforated portion 81, to which is pivotally connected the spout or hopper 42, al handle or other suitable projection 82 being provided upon the outer end of the spout 42,..whereby to facilitate movement thereof. Formed in the side of the shell 6 and opposite the location of the hopper 42 is the longitudinal opening 83 of su'iicient length to permit adequate" longltudinal movement therein of the spout or vhopper 42 when, being swung from position shown in Figure 2 to a rearward position and away from the head 10 to permit rotation thereof. In order to prevent an undue loss of heat through this opening 83 and also any undesirable flying of spelter therethroughv I have provided lmeans to close. this opening but yet permit movement therein of the spout 42. rThis closing means I have shown as consisting of two sliding plates 84 and 85 which are slidably mounted in suitable guide ways and are normally held in contact with the sides of the spout 42 by means of the coil spring 85 being attached at its respected ends to each ofvthese sliding df s and extending under tension therebetween. From this it will be seen that as the spout 42 is moved in the opening 83 the doors 84 and 85 will follow the spout and at all times keep the opening 83 closed.

In the carrying out of my method with the apparatus described above I bring the spelter bath to a suitable temperature and then insert within the head 10 the perforated basket 40. Thelhead during this operation bein'g in elevatdposition and -out of contact with the spelter bath. -The head is then -lowered sov as to become immersed in the spelter bath after which the spout 42 I is thrown into the position shown in Figure 2. The articles to be galvanized or otherwise coated may be either thrown by means of a shovel or the like 'into the spout- 42, or if desired they may be fed there into by means of gravity in an obvious manner. The articles thus passed. throughy the spout .42* will be sprinkled upon the surface of the spelter bath within the basket, and by regulating the quantities fed through the spout 42 they will separately sink in the spelter bath within the basket and individually taketheir coating. This is a great` advantage over throwingthemin large masses or bunches within the immersed basket for the reason that such masses or'bunches would cause the spelter to become clogged around the exterior and freeze within the interstiees .before it reached the center of the. mass,

thus leaving the center black-and uncoated. Any small masses thus floating'should be thrust under the surface with a skimmer until they separate and sink. After the articles are sprinkled in the immersed basket the spout 42 is then moved rearwardly away from the head a suitable distance, after which the surface will be skimmed, the head will be elevated by means of rotation of the hand wheel 67, whichl as described above will impart rotation to the pinion 64 and by virtue of'fits engagement with the threads 61 of the shaft 60, the shaft 9 will be elevated, thus lifting the head 10 out ofthe 80 spelter bath. The doors are then closed, the shaft and head rotated by lmeans of the mo- 'tor 50, and any excess coatingmaterial onthe articles within the basket will be thrown therefrom by centrifugal force, it not yet having solidified, and striking the sides of the shell will be deflected back into the tank.

The basket may. then beremoved from the head,--its contents emptied and either the same or another basket inserted into the head and the operation repeated, thus making possible the continuous galvanizing in large quantities. of the articles to be coated. Articles coated and treated in this manner will have a smooth uniform coating, entirely 95 free from undesirable excrescences, 'projections, blisters or the like.

After use for a certain length of time vthe head 10 is liable to become clogged up with .the spelter 0r other coating material atwhich 100 time it may be quickly removed by-withdrawing the bolt l1 and lslipping the blockv l2 and the attached headl oii" ofthe lower end of theshaft9. The head'may-fthen be l thrown into a pickling bath. or' otherwise 105 treated for-cleansing anda clean hea`d"sub ably receive said .receptacle within itself, 115

means for immersing'said receptacle in said.'v

bath and removing the same therefrom, and" lgneilns for rotating said receptacle above said at 'i 2. In ga-lvanizing` apparatus, a tank lfor containing a spelter bath, a 'detachable receptacle to hold the articles to be galvanized, a depending, removable, hollow head to slid-i ably receive said receptacle within itself,

ceptacle into and out of said bath', and means for rotating said receptacleabove said bath,

whereby to remove by centrifugal force thel surplus coating from said articles.

means for lowering and elevating said re- 1 25 3. In galvanizing apparatus, a tank for containing a spelter bath, a longitudinally movable shaft, a depending removable open work head on said shaft adapted to be lowered into and'raised from said bath, a perforate container adapted to contain articles to be Galvanized and to be placed in said head, and means to cause said shaft torotate whereby to rotate said head above said bath.

shaft to rotate whereby to rotate said head above said bath. w

5. In galvanizing apparatus, a longitudinally movable. shaft having a detachable headthereon adapted to belovvered into a spelter bath and elevated therefrom, and means Yfor sprinkling the articles to be galvanized into saidhead while immersed in lowering said head into said bath, and ele` said bath.`

6; In galvanizing apparatus, a longitudi- -nally movable shaft having a detachable head thereonadapted to. be lowered into a spelter bath and elevated therefrom, means for sprinkling the articles to be galvanized into said head while immersed in said bath, and means for rotating sai-d shaft whereby ,l to cause said head to rotate above said bath.

7. In galvanizing a paratus, a tank for containing a spelter, ath, a frame work above said tank provided with aligned bores,

va threaded sleeve slidably mounted in said bores, means in engagement with said sleeve to transmit longitudinal movement thereto, a shaft rotatably mounted in` said sleeve but fixed tomove longitudinally therewith, means to rotate said shaft, and a detachable head on the lower end of said shaft adapted to be lowered into said spelter bath and bey rotated thereabove.

8. In galvanizing apparatus, a tank for containing a spelter bath, a rotatably and tank containing a spelter bath and having an open topped wall, extending vertically from the top of the tank, a vertical shaft, an open work head, removably mounted on the lower end of saidshaft, adapted to,be rotated in said opentoppedwall, means for vating the samey therefrom, and means for rotating said head within said wall whereby to remove by centrifugal force any excess coating material from the articles being coatf ed and confine the same within the wall'.

' 'In witness whereof, I hereunto' subscribe my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses: I

EDWARDL. WATROUS. Witnesses: l

ADAE M. MANN, AGNES B. llVa'rnoUs. 

